homestretch, their last minute attempts to sway the swing states. lester holt joins us next. tonight, the race for the white house. both candidates blitzing the battlegrounds with just 15 days to go. with polls showing a dead heat, vice president kamala harris and former president donald trump going all in on swing states. mr. trump crisscrossing north carolina, repeating falsehoods about the response to hurricane helene and declining to denounce violent threats to fema workers. and trump supporter elon musk raising concerns by offering million-dollar giveaways to voters. ms. harris today barnstorming three battlegrounds, pennsylvania, michigan and wisconsin, alongside republican liz cheney. why cheney says even women who are anti-abortion like she is should back ms. harris. our complete coverage.

also tonight, the helicopter crashing into a radio tower in houston. the moment of impact caught on surveillance. four people killed. the investigation tonight. the state of emergency in new mexico after record-breaking rain and flash floods. at least two dead. hundreds rescued. we're in the storm zone. the new proposal by the biden administration to require insurance to cover over-the-counter contraception for free. when it could take effect. and the celebration nearly three decades in the making for the new york liberty. >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. good evening and welcome. the path to victory is narrow and the time is short. kamala harris and donald trump working the map and the clock tonight in a race to find those seemingly rare undecided voters. yes, just over two weeks to go but with early voting under way in more and more places election day is now. it's why vice president harris was once more in the midwest making her pitch to republican

voters, those who might be disinclined to support donald trump. for his part the former president back in north carolina, defending critical ground and veering into a crude, unscripted and potentially distracting moment on a stop in pennsylvania. with the last miles of this race now coming in sight, we begin our coverage tonight with garrett haake. >> reporter: tonight former president trump playing defense in north carolina. [ crowd chanting "usa" ] he's won the state twice before but polls now show a coin flip contest. >> i will end inflation. i will stop the invasion. and i will bring back the american dream. >> reporte trump nor the rnc chairman saying today they'd seen any indication this election won't be legitimate. >> we're so impressed. and i think they have a pretty good system here. >> reporter: but just hours later trump still suggesting without evidence the election could be tainted by fraud. >> the vote counter is more important than the candidate.

that's been true, unfortunately. >> reporter: trump also visited asheville, hard hit by hurricane helene, where he was pressed about his false claims about the fema response and threats fema workers have received. >> well, i think you have to let people know how they're doing. if they're doing a poor job we're supposed to not say it? >> reporter: it all comes after trump campaigned in battleground pennsylvania. >> if we win pennsylvania we win the whole damn thing. right? >> reporter: but raising eyebrows with this lewd digression about arnold palmer, spending 12 minutes talking about the golf legend in his hometown of latrobe. >> when he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there, they said, "oh, my god. that's unbelievable." i had to say it. >> reporter: trump also holding a photo op at a philly-area mcdonald's, working the drive-thru window to prescreened customers. >> we love you. thank you very much. >> reporter: and scooping out french fries. >> we've got the salt on it. >> reporter: saying he doesn't believe the vice president worked

at mcdonald's for a summer in college. harris responding today. >> madam vice president, did you work at a mcdonald's? >> did i? i did. >> reporter: all while trump supporter billionaire elon musk campaigning for trump in pennsylvania is drawing scrutiny for saying he'll offer a million dollars to one random registered voter every day if they've signed his petition in favor of free speech and the right to bear arms. >> if you already believe in the constitution, you're just signing something you already believe and you can win a million dollars. that's awesome. >> reporter: pennsylvania's democratic governor josh shapiro firing back. >> i think it's something that law enforcement can take a look at. >> garrett, former president trump now making another appearance there in north carolina tomorrow. >> reporter: that's right, lester. trump exudes confidence at these rallies and regularly says he's winning everywhere, but he also just canceled a planned speech in georgia to stand up another rally here in north carolina tomorrow, a state no democrat has won since 2008.

lester? >> all right. garrett haake, thank you. and tonight vice president harris is going after republican voters in three critical states who might be open to a candidate other than former president trump. kelly o'donnell is on the trail with the vice president. >> reporter: a battleground trio today. pennsylvania, michigan, and here in wisconsin. >> i ask for your vote. >> reporter: where vice president harris is looking for red bricks to fortify the democrats' blue wall in a tight race. >> donald trump is an unserious man. but the consequences of him being president of the united states are brutally serious. >> reporter: joined on the trail by former gop congresswoman liz cheney, who said she believes many women who object to abortion are also worried about consequences for women's health care from strict state abortion laws. >> that's not sustainable for us. as a country. and it has to change. >> reporter: cheney, a fierce trump critic who lost her wyoming

primary in a landslide, now urging republican and independent voters to back harris. >> we're going to reject the kind of vile vitriol that we've seen from donald trump. we're going to reject the misogyny that we've seen from donald trump and j.d. vance. >> reporter: former president trump's raw language included a new and profane attack on harris saturday. >> you're a shit vice president. the worst. you're the worst vice president. kamala, you're fired. get the hell out of here, you're fired. >> the american people deserve so much better. >> reporter: harris responded sunday. >> what you see in my opponent, a former president of the united states, really is -- it demeans the office. >> reporter: while today's events are framed around the seriousness of what is

at stake, harris pulled in star power over the weekend. lizzo, usher, and stevie wonder, who marked harris's 60th birthday sunday. ♪ happy birthday to ya ♪ back here in wisconsin the harris team points out that in dependably republican waukesha county 9,000 voters still chose nikki haley in the gop primary over mr. trump, even after haley exited the race. haley has since endorsed trump. and trump allies like lindsey graham are calling republicans home, away from harris. >> to every republican supporting her, what the hell are you doing? you're supporting the most radical nominee in the history of american politics. >> and kelly, you have some new reporting on how the harris campaign sees this dead heat race. >> reporter: lester, harris campaign officials tell me they recognize that many democrats are worried that it remains so tight across all the battleground states, but they argue they built their operation

knowing that they would need a strong turnout among democratic base voters as well as the strategic appeal to disaffected republicans. lester? >> all right, kelly, thank you. join us tomorrow night as hallie jackson has an exclusive sit-down interview with vice president harris and spends some time with her on the campaign trail. that debuts first tomorrow night on "nightly news." in houston tonight faa and ntsb investigators are gathering evidence after a helicopter crashed into a radio tower, killing all four people on board. here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: surveillance video captured the moment of impact. a private helicopter crashing into a 1,200-foot radio tower, which then collapsed in a fireball to the ground, igniting a large grass fire. >> oh. >> reporter: with pieces of the chopper falling into a nearby neighborhood. >> i just saw the cell tower crumbling down. >> reporter: late this afternoon ntsb investigators on scene documenting debris around the radio tower. the r-44 helicopter had left ellington general aviation airport carrying three

adults and one child, headed for a helipad in downtown houston. flightaware shows it flying just 600 feet off the ground, 108 miles per hour, when it slammed into the tower. only a block from the houston fire station, which immediately responded. >> there's a large collapse behind the station with smoke showing. >> reporter: no one on the ground was injured melissa booth from the falling tower. while an faa notice had warned pilots that some of the lights on the tower were not working, video appears to show at least one light was functioning as the chopper approached. >> it's the pilot's responsibility to maintain safe separation from the terrain and from obstacles. regardless of the altitude that they're flying at. >> reporter: radio towers and wires compose a lethal threat to helicopters. earlier this month a medevac chopper crashed in kentucky after hitting a tower and guide wires, killing all three crew members on board. as the ntsb and faa investigate the houston crash authorities have not yet released the identities of those on board.

the helicopter is owned by porter equipment, a construction company. lester? >> tom costello, thank you. now to that deadly flood emergency in roswell, new mexico where record rains led to hundreds of rescues. two people were reported killed. the flooding caused extensive damage to homes and cars. some people returning to find inches of mud in their houses. the city got 1/3 of the rain it normally gets in a year. a bipartisan hearing under way at the texas state house without its key witness. death row prisoner robert roberson, whose life was spared at the 11th hour thursday after a committee of the state legislature stepped in and issued roberson a subpoena that required him to attend today's hearing in person. the texas attorney general, however, did not produce roberson for today's hearing after raising security concerns. roberson was convicted in the 2002 death of his daughter based on now questionable medical evidence. his supporters question his guilt.

>> how much time do you think you have bought roberson? >> well, the statutes in texas are clear. when he was not executed last week as they intended to, it starts the clock all over again. >> lester, as a death penalty supporter myself, i support the death penalty in the most heinous cases. with robert roberson's case there are just way too many questions, way too many concerns for us to stay silent on this. >> roberson is supported by a majority of the texas legislature, but their legal authority in this case remains in question. also tonight, the biden administration issuing a new rule that would make more forms of contraception free. anne thompson is here. anne, how would this work? >> well, lester, this proposed rule would require private insurance companies to cover the cost of contraception you buy without a prescription, including over-the-counter birth control pills, sponges, condoms and the morning after pill, which is also called plan b. currently insurers must pay only if you have a prescription for these items. the white house says this change could

affect some 52 million women and it comes two weeks before the presidential election, where reproductive rights is a top issue. there is a 60-day comment period before the rule is finalized, and it's expected to impact plans on or after january 1st, lester. >> okay. anne thompson, thank you. in 60 seconds, the climate challenge. we'll meet a climate scientist who moved to asheville to escape disaster where she lived. but is anywhere a safe haven nowadays? right after this. truggling wio severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis? talk to your doctor about #1 prescribed entyvio, offering two maintenance options, including the entyvio pen. infusion and serious allergic reactions can happen during or after treatment. entyvio may increase risk of infection, which can be serious. pml, a rare, potentially fatal brain infection cannot be ruled out. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, or are prone to infections. liver problems can occur. entyvio. relief. remission. for real. ♪entyvio, entyvio, entyvio♪

my hair was thinning all around my hairline. my dermatologist recommended nutrafol. it's 100 % drug—free and clinically tested. my hair is longer, thicker. nutrafol is life—changing for me. get growing at nutrafol.com. [achoo!] needs, alka seltzer plus cold & flu when speed is what you need, bounce back fast with alka seltzer plus. also try the new chewable fizzy chews. no water needed. as climate change fuels extreme weather, some americans have decided to pick up and move to cities that had been celebrated as so-called climate safe havens, only to find that such places may not exist. let's get more from hallie jackson. >> reporter: to melissa booth asheville may never look the same. >> it's gone. i mean, it's completely gone. this is where i enjoyed so many hours of relaxing and enjoying the river.

>> reporter: her favorite hangouts destroyed by the flooding after hurricane helene. and it's along this river where we first met booth and her husband three years ago after they'd moved here from coastal georgia. >> was climate change the only reason that you decided to move? >> i would say it was the biggest reason. >> reporter: asheville repua had earned a reputation as a so-called climate haven along with places like duluth and buffalo, not immune to climate change impacts but maybe more resilient, which came up in our conversation with booth, a climate scientist. >> there's also no hurricanes, no big tornadoes, no violent weather patterns. >> reporter: today? >> the best data show that it was insulated from intense intense hurricanes, from severe droughts. after having lived through this flooding, i realize that i was wrong to think that asheville is a climate haven or that there is a such thing as a climate haven. >> reporter: more than 90% of counties in the u.s. have had at least one disaster claim filed, and over the next 30 years some estimates predict 7.5

million americans could move because of climate risk. >> when they think they think ab about buying a home, they think about where to live in a way they just didn't 20 years ago. >> reporter: experts say it's not about zero risk, just how much and what kind. from wildfires out west to extreme rain and snowfall near the great lakes to, yes, inland flooding in places like north carolina. >> we need to have strong plans for when this happens again because it will. it's going to happen to every community across the u.s. >> reporter: but booth has no plans to move again. >> in natural systems resilience is the ability to bounce back. and that's what i want asheville and all communities around the planet to have, the ability to bounce back. and i want to be part of that solution. >> reporter: hallie jackson, nbc news. >> a lot to think about. up next, our series "what matters." in the heart of election season we dig into the high cost of living, especially for seniors. we'll ask who voters in crucial arizona trust more on the economy. and those high home costs. next.

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early voting is under way in arizona where this month phoenix saw record heat for 21 straight days. the climate crisis on voters' minds there as they decide which candidate will do more about high home costs, especially for older americans. jacob soboroff now with more on our series "what matters." next estimates predict 7.5 >> reporter: this year phoenix set a record.

113 consecutive days of temperatures over 100 degrees. >> so this is the new unit? >> reporter: temperatures you can't ignore doing rooftop air-conditioning installation. >> how much per install would something like this cost? >> the whole weatherization can cost anywhere from 15 to $25,000. >> 15 to 25,000. >> correct. >> and these guys are all getting it for free. >> exactly. >> reporter: these contractors are working for the foundation for senior living, which provides free weatherization services to low-income seniors. >> we've got people who would never be able to pay for any of this. >> and in a county like maricopa -- there it goes, it just turned on again. to not have it, what does that mean? >> probably death. >> reporter: there were 645 heat-related deaths in maricopa county in 2023 alone. a clear and present danger to ruth hernandez, the retired cashier who lives in this house. >> why is what they're doing so important, so helpful for you? >> well, i just retired and i know i never would have been

able to have this done if it wasn't for fsl. >> at the end of the month, forgive me for asking such a personal question, how much money do you have left in your bank account? >> $30. >> three zero. $30? >> after i pay my bills. this is going to help a lot. >> what do you want vice president harris and former president trump to know about what life is like for people like you? >> there's a lot of people that are in need of help. i thought maybe my social security would be a little bit more, but it's not. >> does either vice president harris or former president trump connect with you more when they talk about what americans go through? >> well, right now it's harris. >> reporter: maricopa county doesn't have a dominant political party but its residents all experience the same heat and increasing costs of housing and living. >> this is a mobile home community, and right now it's 102 degrees. it's not even noon yet. and what we're told about this place is that a lot of the residents don't have great ac if their ac works at all. michael, jacob. nice to meet you. >> you too.

>> reporter: michael leonard also signed up for free weatherization services from fsl. >> they're replacing the water heater. this is the old one. >> this is your old water heater. >> it's only five years old. >> reporter: recently michael got a free air-conditioner too. >> so this is a brand new air-conditioning unit over here? >> brand new. if you look at the typical ones for our neighbors, that's what the norm is. >> reporter: michael invited us inside his house. >> what a difference you're going to feel. >> going to feel the ac, huh? >> ah. >> this is nice. let me ask you, do you think -- clearly there's your trump hat up there. do you think he can help people like you? >> i think he can help the entire economy. >> we met another person who's getting these free services and she's a vice president harris supporter and you're a trump supporter. and despite the fact that you're going through sort of a similar thing, you know, you're divided -- >> what's the commonality? hardship. >> yeah. >> right. hardship. regardless of which side of the spectrum you're on it's hardship.

>> so why do you think we can't see more eye to eye on the politics? >> really good question. everybody's got to come together. we've got to pull together as a country. we've got to. >> reporter: high temperatures on the thermometer and in politics. in a place both could decide the presidency. jacob soboroff, nbc news, phoenix. >> and up next there's good news tonight. in a year when the wnba has never been bigger, this spectacular exclamation point on the end of the season as the new york liberty make history. next. exclamation point on exclamation point on the end of the season the end of the season if you have this... consider adding this. an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan from unitedhealthcare. medicare supplement plans help by paying some of what medicare doesn't... and let you see any doctor. any specialist. anywhere in the u.s. who accepts medicare patients. so if you have this... consider adding this. call unitedhealthcare today for your free decision guide. ♪ after careful review of medical guidance and research on pain relief, my recommendation is simple: every home should have salonpas.

powerful yet non-addictive. targeted and long-lasting. i recommend salonpas. it's good medicine. ♪ hisamitsu ♪ i'm kamala harris and i approve this message. donald trump makes a lot of promises, but we can be sure of one thing: if he wins, he'll ignore all checks that rein in a president's power. it's all in trump's project 2025 agenda. what does that mean for you? higher costs on groceries, cuts to social security and medicare, more tax breaks for billionaires, and a national abortion ban, putting women's health at risk. a second trump term— more unhinged, unstable, and unchecked. ok y'all we got ten orders coming in.. big orders! starting a business is never easy, but starting it eight months pregnant.. that's a different story. i couldn't slow down. we were starting a business from the ground up. people were showing up left and right. and so did our business needs. the chase ink card made it easy. when you go for something big like this, your kids see that. and they believe they can do the same.

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tonight about the wnba reaching new heights. finally after nearly three decades the new york liberty winning their first wnba championship in an overtime thriller. here's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: first ever championships won at home are especially sweet. >> the new york liberty are wnba champions! >> reporter: in front of a star-studded crowd the new york liberty, one of the wnba's original franchises, snagged its first wnba trophy. outscoring the minnesota lynx in the final game of a best of five series. >> man, we're wnba champs. new york or nowhere! >> reporter: star forward jonquel jones named series mvp. >> i could never dream of this. of this. i mean -- [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: the lynx did not give the game away. the two teams trading baskets and the lead. going into overtime. the sting of last year's championship defeat still on the

liberty's minds. >> last year when we lost there was more in the tank. and this year that wasn't happening. >> reporter: and it did not, much to the delight of the loyal liberty fans. >> like once you go to one game you're hooked. >> it's been fun watching them because they came a long way. >> everything is in place. and like we can keep doing this. >> reporter: the championship series tops off a record-breaking year for the wnba. record attendance, record viewership. merchandise has been flying off the shelves around the country. and while rookie phenom caitlin clark may have fueled some of that energy last night it was all about the liberty. ♪ new york ♪ on thursday the champions will bask in the glory some more with a ticker tape parade down broadway. stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. >> and that is "nightly news" for this monday. thank you for watching. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night.

washington loves to talk. i love to get stuff done. it's who i am. as mayor, i tackled homelessness... ...added 200 officers in 4 years... and saved our taxpayers $3 billion dollars. i've already got a plan to lower your grocery and insurance bills, to address climate change, and protect reproductive rights. and i'll work with anyone to get it done. i'm sam liccardo and i approve this message. a day in the murder case of tech executive bob lee. the sister of the accused killer. you see her right there, questioned about her drug use. also, oakland police officers accused of driving drunk while on